


Windstorms on Dark Nights

by SweetLittleLemon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Hufflepuff, HufflepuffOC, Light Angst, Muggle-born, Romance, Sex, Smut, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:55:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29533008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetLittleLemon/pseuds/SweetLittleLemon
Summary: Opal Gale, a bookish muggle-born Hufflepuff with a bleeding heart.Severus Snape, the dark and brooding Potions Master of Hogwarts with too many secrets.While no one was looking, they noticed each other. He'll fight it but she'll fight for it, who is to win? It's obvious, we already know love conquers all.Romance for Snape X Student OC all within age of consent for Britain
Relationships: Severus Snape/Original Character(s), Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 20





	1. Her Smiles and Her Tears

**Author's Note:**

> While I've written many of fanfictions in my days, I've never written for Harry Potter... so this is a bit of an experiment for me. The reason I've never written for this fandom is because I've never actually read the books in entirety, most of my knowledge is from the movies and the wiki and even fanfiction. If I make any mistake please let me know, I'm more than willing to learn. 
> 
> I've recently gotten really deep in the Severus Snape area of fanfictions and my main inspiration for writing this story is possibly the best Snape/Reader fic I've ever read, Broken Silence by WitchImage on here. I've decided to add song lyrics to the beginning of my chapters, much like WitchImage does, and while I know it's not specific to them just know they're my main inspiration.
> 
> Happy reading!

I wanna be a virgin pure

A 21st century whore

I want back my virginity

So I can feel infinity

I wanna drink until I ache

I wanna make a big mistake

I want blood, guts and angel cake

I'm gonna puke it anyway

**Teen Idle by MARINA**

000

The first time Snape truly noticed her, when she wasn't just another student in the crowd of many, was near the end of her first year. Of course he'd seen her before, knew her name, but he couldn't say she really caught his attention before that day.

Just another day in class full of first years, all thumbs and snotty noses, but at least by the end of the year he'd been able to whip them into shape enough that their very presence didn't irritate him. That was except for Hunter Roadinger, a blond haired little Hufflepuff who had a knack for screwing up in his classroom. He'd spill things, blow up cauldrons, waste ingredients, and always ask the dumbest questions. Today was no exception.

Walking around the room, eyeing the students as they attempted to brew the potion they'd been going over for the last week, Snape's eyes landed on Roadinger just as the boy was about to blow up his potion for the second time that month. He mentally sighed and started towards the boy, ready to reprimand him when his work literally blew up in his face, but he was stopped when another little Hufflepuff rushed in front of him to Roadinger and grabbed the boy's arm before he was able to drop in the wrong ingredient. It was Opal Gale, a round faced girl with pale blue, almost white, eyes and long dark curls she'd often tie or clip back during his class. She spoke to Roadinger in hushed tones, clearly instructing him on his mistake.

Snape watched the pair for a moment then glanced over at Gale's work station, taking note by the smoke that she'd left the heat on her brew too long, most likely due to the distraction. Returning his gaze to the pair of Hufflepuffs, his eyes narrowed. While obviously good natured, Gale's act of chivalry towards Roadinger only resulted in her own self sabotage, and a screw up was a screw up. Before marching up to the Hufflepuffs to scold them both, Snape looked back into his mind to remember how Opal Gale was even doing in his class. Rather well, if he remembered correctly. Still, a scolding needed to be had.

"Miss Gale, Mister Roadinger." His voice was low as he approached the children, pulling their attention from the now successfully brewed potion sitting at the boy's station. Roadinger was obviously frightened, having gotten an ear full from the Potions Master many times, while Gale only looked up at him with a calm and innocent expression. This only made Snape's sneer deepen. "10 points from Hufflepuff, _each_. Roadinger, for your failure to maintain your own assignment without the help of Gale, and Gale, for your neglect of your own brew in an attempt to save Roadinger from his screw up."

At the mention of her own potion, Opal paled considerably then rushed back to her station only to let out a defeated huff upon noticing her mistake. Snape watched her start to clean up her area, the young girl ignoring all the words of condolences and encouragement she was receiving from her classmates. She glared at her ruined potion for a while then finally relaxed when she'd cleared the area, bending over to jot down in her notebook. As the class finished and the students filed out, he watched Gale as she made her way to the door.

"Miss Gale, stay a moment." Snape said, tone deep and threatening though it didn't seem to have the desired effect on the young girl.

Opal turned to face her professor, clutching her books to her chest, wide eyes looking up at him curiously. Once all of the other students had gone, most rushing out in fear of the scolding they were sure Snape was going to give the Hufflepuff, the man marched forward until he towered over the young girl. She still looked up at him, not a hint of fear in her eyes, waiting for why he'd asked her to stay.

"I hope you have learned a lesson today regarding your actions, Miss Gale." Snape started, voice stern and gaze hard. "In your attempt to rescue Mister Roadinger, you've caused your own downfall."

A few moments passed between them, onyx eyes locked onto pale blue, before Opal's face brightened with a gentle smile. "I'm sorry about my potion, Professor, but I wouldn't have done anything different. I knew how to complete the assignment correctly, Hunter didn't, and he needed the good grade more than I did, I think. But if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be late for my next class."

Snape didn't even object to her rushing off without being dismissed, only watched in silent irritation. He sighed.

_Hufflepuffs, all bleeding hearts._

* * *

Through the years he would notice Opal Gale a number of times more, though not that she would do anything particularly special by most standards. She was smart, high marks in his class as well as many of her others, plus she was always the one who others went to when they struggled in Potions. She'd smile warmly at her classmates, though Snape could see the strain in it, and repeat the lesson _he_ had just given. If it was him he would have told them to simply pay attention in class, but Opal always took their bugging her in stride. The help she provided had allowed quite a few students to go from the bottom to at least midrange in his class, and she was still maintaining her own grades so he didn't have much reason to call her out any more.

Even Roadinger had gotten better, seeming to have made quite the bond with Gale after their first year as Snape would often see them outside of class together or sitting together during meals. While he didn't often take much interest in students outside of his own house, Gale was an exception. This was only due to her proficiency in his subject, that and her indifference to any of his intimidation tactics. Occasionally the young Hufflepuff would speak to him after class or during study hours, picking his brain about more complex potions and techniques they had yet to cover. She always seemed to be a few steps ahead of the other students, but based on the fact that she could often be seen with her nose in a book that wasn't too surprising.

In her fifth year, Opal would catch Snape's attention for a completely new reason this time, as she ran through the halls and nearly slammed into his front in her hurry. She stumbled forward, just barely stopping before she ran into him, and looked up with a puffy face and tear filled eyes. Quickly, her gaze shifted from him to Professor Sprout who had been walking alongside him discussing the specimens he would need from her for future classes. The girl was clutching a piece of paper tightly, looking as though she was about to tear it to shreds.

"Professor, I need to go home! Please, Professor Sprout, let me go home! My mum is alone a-and Gran Eudora... Mum needs me! She doesn't have anyone else!" Opal rushed through her words, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'll do make up work, I'll do extra! I-I... I'll come back as soon as possible, but please, Professor, I need to be with my mum for the service!"

Taken aback slightly, Professor Sprout took a moment to take in the girls words, then rested a hand on her shoulder. "Alright, calm down, child. Explain what is happening and why you need to go home?"

Opal sniffed, catching her breath. She glanced at the potions professor, looking to him for only a moment, then steadied her gaze back to Sprout. "My Gran Eudora, my mum's grandmother, sh-she.. passed." The girl held out the paper in her hand. "Mum wrote me... please, Professor, she needs me."

Sprout took the letter offered to her and glanced between it and the girl in front of her, a sadness in her eyes. She sighed, squeezing Opal's shoulder. "Come with me, dear, we will discuss this with the headmaster. I'm sure we can make arrangements."

The young girl nodded and walked on as her Head of House lead her away. Snape watched the two walk away for a few beats, then continued on his way to the teachers' private area where he and Pomona had been headed to begin with. Once there he sat with a book and a cup of tea, though he wasn't able to focus on his reading material entirely. The desperation in Opal's eyes, the despair, kept flashing into his mind. He'd never seen her like that before. She had always been very calm and put together, the strongest emotion he'd seen her have was her level of excitement at a new and interesting fact she'd learned as she shared her discovery with him for his input.

After a while of his silent contemplation, Snape was alerted to another person entering the room and glanced up to see the Herbology Professor. Catching his gaze, she made her way to the table he sat at and took the seat across from him, releasing a heavy sigh.

"I've sent Opal off now, the rest is for her to handle."

Snape regarded her silently, taking a sip of his tea.

The large woman smiled, turning to face him. "Are you familiar with Miss Gale, Severus? She does quite well in your class I know. Though she does quite well in most all of her classes." She chuckled lightly at her comment. "Many have said she should have been a Ravenclaw, that one, with her bookish nature and all. It can be hard to see why she's a Hufflepuff."

"Her profound empathy." Snape said immediately, softly voicing his thoughts on accident. He turned to Pomona to gage her reaction, almost sneering at the surprised grin she gave him, then looked back down to his book and tea.

Pomona nodded, still grinning brightly. "That's it there! Opal will always forgo her own needs and happiness for that of others. A true mark of a Hufflepuff, indeed." She tapped on the table lightly, her grin faltering slightly. "Makes me wonder, if she were to ever truly need something... would she ask? I would hope she'd come to me, but it's hard to be sure with that one."

"She came to you with this request, hadn't she?" He pointed out dryly, feigning disinterest in the topic of the bright Hufflepuff.

There a shake of her head and another heavy sigh. "Actually, this was not for herself. She wanted to return home to console her mother, not to be consoled _by_ her. Even though she has lost someone dear to her... Opal is still only concerned with how others feel."

Their conversation regarding Opal Gale ended there, both moving onto more professional topics, far away from the habits and personalities of their student. Generally discussions with his colleagues about students would remain professional, grades and discipline and the like, but Pomona always seemed to get a little deeper with her talks. Snape could usually ignore her, he mostly didn't care. Still, for some reason his mind lingered on Opal and her 'profound empathy' as he had put it. It was going to get her into more trouble than she could sweet talk her way out of one of these days, he was sure of that fact.

* * *

It was in the middle of her sixth year when things changed quite drastically, though Snape wouldn't have predicted it to, would have even rejected the notion if someone had made the suggestion to him.

Past curfew, Snape stalked through the halls of the old castle to preform his rounds as was his duty this particular night. While usually this would have been a boring task, only brightened by the chance of catching the occasional student who snuck out of bed, this year he relished in the task. This was the year the famous 'boy who lived' had arrived at Hogwarts. He was the spitting image of his wretched father, Snape noted, and he was sure that like his father, young Potter would be sneaking around the castle, up to no good, at some point. If Potter was sneaking around, no matter what for, Snape wanted to be the one to catch him and put him in his place.

This night, however, it wasn't Potter he caught out of bed. Just as he passed the music room, Snape heard the faint sound of piano keys being pressed down in no musical order. He stopped suddenly, turned with a sigh, and marched back to the door of the music room ready to investigate. With the flick of his wrist a small light shown at the end of his wand, he then pulled open the door, taking note that the door itself didn't make a sound. He searched the room, wand arm held out to bring light to the empty room. His attention was then drawn to an open doorway off to the side where candlelight and the sounds of heavy breathing on top of smashed piano keys leaked out.

Another flick of his wrist and the light on his wand was put out. He followed the candlelight instead, stepping slow and quiet so as to be sure to catch whomever was here by surprise. When the happenings behind the open doorway finally came into view, Snape had to stop and simply look, unable to bring himself to interrupt. Laying on her front on top of the piano was Opal Gale, dark hair strewn around her on the piano top while a boy he didn't immediately recognize rutted into her from behind. One of her knees rested on the piano keys, clearly the reason for the noise as she'd smash keys each time the boy thrust into her, while the other was on the bench underneath.

This was the first time Snape was forced to see Miss Gale as more than a child, her flushed cheeks, her shirt pulled up and allowing her full and heavy breasts to rest on top of the piano, her full ass also in plain view as her skirt was yanked up to her waist. Then the sounds, _oh the sounds,_ deep moans and hushed cries escaping her throat. How this could be the little girl who rescued idiots in his class or the girl who begged for permission to return home only to console her mother or the girl who beamed at the chance for knew knowledge, he simply couldn't grasp. It wasn't until he saw a few tears sliding down her face that he was shocked back into reality.

"Ow... sl-slow down, Lloyd... it hurts..." Opal muttered softly, glancing back at the boy behind her. Her eyes widened then as in her peripheral vision she caught sight of the last person she wanted to find her like this.

Angrily, Snape marched forward and grabbed the collar of the boy behind Opal, yanking him away and pulling his face into view. He sneered as he realized this was not just any boy, it was one of his, Lloyd Banks, a seventh year slytherin. He shoved the boy away as though he felt burned just being near him. "Pull you pants _up_ , Banks, and go back to your bed. Tomorrow you will report to my office for your punishment _first thing_ in the morning."

The boy fumbled with his trousers, fear taking over as he did as he was told and rushed out of the music room, leaving poor Opal to fend for herself. Snape glanced at her then quickly turned his back to her, trying to offer a semblance of respect and privacy for her delicate state. She slid off the piano, quickly righting her clothes as best she could, then started to rush away behind Lloyd.

"Gale."

She stopped at the sound of her Potions Professor calling to her, a shiver running up her spine. Though she was sure he had intended for her to look at him when he called her name, she simply couldn't find the strength to. She stood still, body tense, and waited for whatever was to come knowing full well she rightly deserved any scolding she was about to receive. Opal heard him step towards her but stop just a few feet behind her, the glow of the candlelight casting his shadow around her.

"I expected better from _you._ "

His words were hard and cold, but Opal couldn't find herself feeling any fear or shame due to them. The worst she'd done was sneak out of bed after curfew, the rest was simply an act between two individuals that was no concern of anyone else in her opinion. There was nothing for her to be ashamed of as it was her own business. She turned to face him then, eyes cast to the floor, but a calm to her voice. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Professor."

There was a long pause before Snape spoke again, his voice low and soft. "Did he hurt you?"

"Of course not." Her answer was quick, harsh. She couldn't understand why he would ask something like that, she was obviously complicit in the act from his view. So what if Lloyd didn't listen when she asked him to be more gentle? It was her choice to get involved so any discomfort was her own responsibility. A few moments passed before she finally looked up at him with a blank expression. "I asked for it, didn't I?"

Taken aback by her words and uncaring attitude, Snape only watched her silently, brows knit together in confusion. She kept her gaze on him, unrelenting and unafraid.

"After all," she started, voice still holding a steady calm. "I lead him on. I let him touch me, do things to me. I wanted it. Why would he take no for an answer now?"

Suddenly angered by her explanation, Snape reached out and grabbed her shoulders hard, shaking her slightly. "No matter any of that, he is not allowed to hurt you!"

Opal stared up at her professor's dark eyes, shocked by his outburst, then forced a weak smile to her face as tears began to fall. "What else can I expect? He's just a boy, Professor."

He released her shoulders then, struck by her words and by his own lapse in judgement. Snape forced a calm and reserved expression back to his face, hiding all he thoughts behind the familiar cold mask. "And you're just a girl. Now, go back to bed, Miss Gale."

She bit her lip and nodded then started towards the exit. Just before leaving the room, she threw a few soft words over her shoulder. "I'm not... just a girl... Professor."

With that Opal Gale was out of his sight, but the image of her would linger in his mind, unrelenting, for the rest of the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to come soon :)
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	2. Look At Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out quicker than usual as I kind of felt a surge of inspiration after the lovely reception the first chapter received. Thank you for all who are reading and enjoying! I hope this chapter is to your liking as well.

Because I'm crazy, baby

I need you to come here and save me

I'm your little scarlet, starlet, singin' in the garden

Kiss me on my open mouth

Ready for you

**Off To The Races by Lana Del Rey**

000

On a Saturday morning like this Opal should have been sleeping in, cuddled up with a warm crotched blanket she'd brought from home and the stuffed black cat she'd had since she was a little girl and simply couldn't part with, but that's not what she did this morning. Sleep seemed to elude her, so she gave into the alertness of her mind and moved to the common room with a couple notebooks to study. While she did her best to focus on the words she'd written in her notebooks, she still fought back images from the night before peeking into her mind.

The strongest memory was the smell of Lloyd's deodorant, he had a tendency to slather it on before meeting with her and it wasn't the first time she'd been affronted by the smell. However, it was the first time he had taken things further than the kissing and playful petting they had been engaging in for the last couple of months. It was like a cat and mouse game, and Opal knew she was indeed the mouse and he was obviously done chasing her. Fighting him off that night seemed far too tiring, giving into his advances was the much easier route, so she did. Besides, it's not as though he'd been the first to screw her without consideration for her feelings, and she had a feeling he wouldn't be the last.

Over the summer while she visited with her father and his family in America, she'd hooked up with a local boy who worked in her grandparents’ house. He was cute, sweet, entertaining even, but rough and inexperienced. She remembered the bruises on her thighs, the stabbing pain when it started and the ache when he was done. It confused her at first, this wasn't the wonderful experience she was made to think sex was in the romance novels she'd snuck out of her mother's private stash. Perhaps it would get better now that she'd gotten her first time out of the way, she thought, so they did it a number of times after that until she returned home to her mother in London. It didn't get better, however, just easier to manage, and everything before the sex was nice so it didn't matter much to her anyway. She asked for it.

_Just like with Lloyd._

Opal sighed, trying to brush away the thoughts and focus in on a paragraph of facts she'd read probably five times by now. Just as she seemed to find focus, it was broken once again, though this time she couldn't complain. Her best friend and confidant, Hunter Roadinger, threw himself onto the couch beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a friendly embrace.

"Studying? On a Saturday? Can you get any more boring, Opal?" He asked her playfully, squeezing her against his side.

Opal chuckled and shoved him away, laying her notebook to the side. "Boring am I? I'll have you know, I actually broke a rule last night. I'm a rebel, thank you." She laid her hand on her chest and stuck her nose in the air, trying to portray a sense of superiority.

"Oh?" Hunter leaned in close, a grin spread across his tanned cheeks. "Do tell the class, Miss Gale."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Don't get too excited. I just snuck out after curfew, nothing really serious."

A knowing look crossed the blond boy's face, eyebrows raised with a mischievous little smirk. "Lloyd?"

Opal nodded and shrugged, looking away from his face and scanning for anyone else to be sure their words remained private. She leaned in close, which Hunter instinctively followed, and whispered. "On the piano in the music room... but Professor Snape caught us."

He gave an exaggerated gasp, covering his mouth with his hand, eyes wide. "Snape? No!"

She nodded, allowing herself a small smile at his antics. If Hunter was good for anything, it was cheering her up with his expressive personality. "The weird thing is he told Lloyd to meet him today for punishment, but not me... I guess he'll just take the information to Sprout and she'll decide my fate."

Hunter waved his finger at her, making a 'tsk' sound with his tongue. "Serves you right. Opal Gale, the rebel."

"Right." Opal giggled. "Like you haven't snuck out with Thomas, how many times now?"

He leaned back and gasped as though affronted by her accusation. "Miss Gale, I would never do such a thing. How dare you accuse me of such."

They broke out into a fit of giggles and Opal was warmed in ways only Hunter could offer her. Through the years he's always had her back and always knew what to say, today was no exception. The two went on to discuss Hunter's recent activities with the aforementioned Thomas, the boy doing most of the talking. Opal was happy to listen, a bit glad the topic of her evening was off the table for now as there was still plenty there she wasn't willing to discuss with even her best friend. Such as the way Professor Snape had grabbed her, had cared for her wellbeing, and all the butterflies that filled her stomach for the way he looked at her. That was simply more than Opal could discuss with Hunter, after all, he was still just a boy... and she'd long ago stopped being just a girl.

* * *

By the time Monday classes had rolled around, Opal was frustrated and irritatingly confused. As she had discussed with Hunter, she assumed Snape would tell Sprout about how he had found her out of bed after curfew and she'd be receiving a punishment of some kind, but it never came. She had even seen both professors during the weekend at meals, catching the Potions Master's eyes on her for fleeting moments which caused her heart to flutter before he'd turn away, while Sprout had seen her in the halls and gave polite greetings just like any other day.

Even in classes she found herself frustrated. Her dear Herboloy professor was as constant as a the shining sun, treating her with her normal care and consideration, while Potions was a different matter. Professor Snape hadn't looked at her during class once, and when he moved about the room to inspect his students' works, he skipped her table entirely. Some may have chalked this up to the fact that she was never one who needed supervision in the class, constantly exceeding expectations, but Opal had a feeling there was something else to it. When classes finished out that day, she was fed up, and decided to go straight to the source of her confusion.

Outside of the Potions classroom, she took a deep breath to prepare herself while tugging at the bottom of her sweater. Finally, she pushed through the door to find an empty classroom aside from Professor Snape seated at his desk on the back wall. His eyes instantly shot up to her, looking to see who the intruder was, but as their eyes met his gaze became harsh before he looked back down to his work. Unafraid, Opal marched further into the classroom until she was just a few feet away from his desk.

"May I speak with you, Professor?" She asked, trying to sound polite but there was a hardness to her words.

Snape dipped his quill into a pot of ink and continued writing, never looking up as he regarded her. "What is it, Miss Gale?"

Opal's eyes narrowed, irritated that he wasn't looking at her. "My apologies for the intrusion, Sir, but I just... I wanted to know when I would be receiving my punishment."

"Punishment?" He asked, voice cold and tone uncaring. "What for?"

Her cheeks reddened at that, _as if he doesn't know!_ She took a breath, steadying herself. "For being out past curfew, Sir. You discussed punishment with... with Lloyd, yet even Professor Sprout hasn't come to me with mine. Did you not tell her?"

His eyes, still cast down on the paper he was grading, narrowed slightly. "Would you have preferred I had informed her of your _state_ that evening?"

Opal shook her head slightly but her gaze upon him remained firm. She just wanted him to look up at her, just to meet her eyes. "No, Sir, I wouldn't. Though what I want isn't really the issue here... I'm just confused."

"Don't be." He said suddenly, his words hard. "From this day on, Lloyd Banks will not come after you which means you two will no loner be sneaking around the castle past curfew. Consider that your punishment."

Her eyes widened, heart pounding in her chest, and she took a few steps closer to the desk. "You-You can't dictate who I see!" Opal yelled, finally giving into her frustration.

"No, but I can dictate what happens on school grounds. I will not have my students sneaking around, strutting about the halls, if only to paw at each other in the dark." Snape then looked up from his work, finally meeting her gaze with his cold dark stare. "Especially when one of them is less than complicit in the act."

Opal opened her mouth in shock, trying to comprehend what he had just said to her. "I was... I was complicit, I mean, I didn't stop him-I let him-"

Snape held up his hand, stopping her short, and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other hand in frustration. "If you can, do refrain from lying, Miss Gale."

Her mouth shut then, and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she held them back, too frustrated with herself and her behavior to allow herself to show him that kind of weakness. She stepped forward slowly until she was directly in front of his desk, staring down at him in his seat. He continued to meet her eyes, brows furrowed together in a show of frustration and anger but she couldn't find it within herself to be afraid, the pounding in her chest was all she could focus on.

"You think I'm disgusting now, don't you?" She asked plainly, voice level and monotone.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "No, Miss Gale, I do not."

"Then why are you treating me differently? You barely look at me, like I'm somehow... tainted."

Though he wouldn't admit to it, her words hit him rather deep. Snape hadn't realized that he was treating her any differently, and not looking at her had nothing to do with seeing her as 'tainted', on the contrary, he was avoiding looking to her for his own sake. While he was able to avoid her for the most part during the weekend, when classes resumed he was forced to face his worst nightmare. Every time he looked to Opal Gale, caught in the sea of her pale blue gaze, he was forced to relive what he had seen that night in the music room. His mind brought back the images of her creamy pale skin, the flush in her cheeks, and the tears in her eyes. He couldn't see her like that, see her body in his mind like that, as she was simply meant to be his student.

To think he'd made her think he saw her as anything less than beaut- He growled mentally, forcing away the words in his mind, and stood from his seat suddenly, his eyes squeezed shut tight. "You are. Not. Tainted. Remove that thought from your head, this instant."

"Look at me, then." Her words were hard, daring.

With effort, Snape opened his eyes and glared down at the Hufflepuff, their eyes instantly locked together. He tried to keep his gaze hard, tried to intimidate her into looking away, but the longer he looked the softer his expression became. Opal's gaze softened as well, a heat moving to her face. Moving on instinct and courage alone, she slowly leaned forward and raised on her tip toes, her eye lids drifting down as her lips parted slightly. Without his knowledge, Snape found himself leaning towards her as well, hypnotized by her gaze, but before they could meet over his desk his senses returned and he stopped, shutting his eyes and turning his head.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, his voice low and almost threatening.

She stared up at him with an innocent expression, clutched her hand to her chest as though she could ease the pounding there, and spoke softly. "Because I want to."

Snape scoffed, almost rolling his eyes at her dodging answer. " _Why_ do you want to?"

Opal does roll her eyes at that, obviously getting frustrated with him again. She turned her gaze away for the first time, staring at the wall as though it had committed a horrible wrong against her. She took a breath, trying to find that courage she'd had earlier, and she spilled her guts in front of the brooding Potions Master, silently wishing he'd simply eat her alive and put her out of this misery. "I like the way you look at me. No one else looks at me like you do… no one. Whenever your eyes are on me... I feel seen."

"Is that why you were with Banks?" It was almost an accusation, and Snape even felt himself reel back at his tone. While he wanted to gage her reaction, he simply couldn't allow himself to look at her and get lost again.

Opal sighed, unfazed by his words. "He came after me and... I liked the attention... until he got tired of me telling him no."

He sneered at that last comment, mentally cursing the idiocy of the boy, but continued on. "Will anyone's attention do? Is that why you have confused me with a horny teenage boy?" He spoke harshly, regretting it almost as soon as the words left his mouth, but knowing he had to do something to hurt her and get her to run away from him.

Surprisingly, Snape didn't hear her start to cry or hear her run off like he expected, but instead heard her sweet light giggles. His eyes shot to her face, looking for the reason for her laughter, and found himself losing his breath at her expression. Her cheeks were flushed bright red, eyes looking to him innocently, but there was a seductive pout to her lips as well. He searched for the will to breath and found none, only a tightness in his chest. What was this girl doing to him?

"Sir... I know you're not just a boy... I've always know that."

Grasping again at the last lingering bits of her courage, Opal made the distance between them disappear with the press of her lips to his in a soft and chaste kiss. She pulled away quickly and turned, rushing towards the classroom door to avoid any immediate repercussions for her actions, but halted suddenly with a soft squeak when the door slammed shut and locked on it's own. She bit her lip, knowing her Professor had magically locked them away from the outside world together, and slowly turned to face him again. Before she realized what was happening, Snape had moved from around his desk and stalked to her, then placed his hand around her throat when she turned and pushed his lips against hers in a much more forceful way that she had.

He took her breath in that moment, with his hand on her throat and his mouth against hers, but Opal knew that she would have simply given it to him had he asked. She reached out for something to hold her in that moment, something to keep her soul from floating away, and grasped at the front of his buttoned up frock. Their mouths parted together, as though their minds had melded, and warm wet tongues moved together in a passionate dance. Snape moved in closer to her, his hand around her throat slowly sliding to the back of her neck and twisting into her long dark locks while the other snaked around her waist. Opal responded beautifully, tilting her head back slightly and pressing her front against him, the heat of her soft breasts pressed firmly into his chest.

They stayed like that, mouths moving together in desperation, until he forced himself to pull away and gasp for breath, leaning his forehead against hers gently as he tried to regain some semblance of his senses. Opal's eyes fluttered open, feeling almost affronted by his release of her lips, but she too needed air and thus relaxed against him, panting along with her professor. When his eyes opened and he pulled his head back, Snape gazed down lazily at the girl in his arms, swallowed up by an ocean of pale blue once again.

"Professor?" Opal spoke softly, innocently, and he felt his body flinch at the title.

"Don't. Don't call me that... not like this." He said, his voice low and gravely.

Her brows furrowed, a mix of confusion and hope on her features. "Then... what should I call you?"

There was a beat of quiet as Snape thought about her question, then he made up his mind with a gentle sigh. "Severus."

Opal felt her heart leap into her throat, but she held back from appearing too pleased by the familiar and intimate title so as not to scare him off. She nodded her head, a gentle smile on her face. "Then please, call me Opal when I call you... Severus."

Raising a curious brow of his own, he allowed a small smile to grace his features. "Yes, Opal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I really appreciate it :)


	3. If We Were To Trust

Tell me how I fear it

I buy prejudice for my health

Is it worth so much when you taste it?

Enough, there ain't enough hidden hurt

A time to sell yourself, a time for passing

**I Believe in You by Talk Talk**

000

It went without saying that what had transpired between them was to remain strictly between them no matter what, though Snape still gave her a lengthy speech on that fact before he even thought about letting Opal leave his classroom. Though she felt it was an unnecessary speech, she still listened intently as though he was lecturing in class. His voice was calm, stern, familiar, and she felt her heart warm every time he said her first name during the speech. It was easy to tell he was trying to put the fear of God in her heart, reminding her that if this got out it would jeopardize her future as every success she had would be under question from those who believed she may not have truly earned them, but she still found it rather hard to be afraid when he spoke.

"Do you _fully_ understand, Opal?" Snape finished, gaze hard and still against her.

The Hufflepuff nodded, trying to ease the smile that wanted to spread across her face. "Yes, I assure you, I do." She'd found herself a seat on top of one of the work tables when he'd first started talking and that's where she remained the entire time, ankles crossed and hands rested on top of each other on her lap. Sensing that he was done, she leapt down from the table with a little thump of her feet against the floor, hands clasped behind her back innocently.

He gave a bit of a sigh as his expression relaxed, but he still maintained his stand off-ish body language with the distance he kept between them and the cross of his arms over his chest. Snape eyed the girl, trying to read her expression, and feeling a bit of irritation as she didn't display any signs of fear in those pale blue eyes of hers. Frustrated and tired, he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, unable to look into those eyes any longer. Opal had never been one he found he was able to intimidate and now as he was faced with the reality that he'd done something so stupid it could ruin his entire life, he'd wished it had at least been someone he could frighten into silence who he had kissed. To think a student currently held so much power over him, and he had basically handed it to her. The urge to obliviate her had come over him for only a few seconds, until it was dashed aside as quick as it'd come.

Snape was broken from his thoughts as he felt a hand tentatively rest on his arm and he opened his eyes to again be drawn into a pale blue ocean. After catching his attention, Opal slowly stood on her tip toes until she placed a gentle kiss to his cheek, let herself linger in that moment for longer than she probably should have, then rested back on her feet fully to smile softly at him. He eyed her curiously, not making a move to stop her or reciprocate the gesture. She took this in stride, however, calmed by his gaze on her.

"It's a lot to ask," Opal started softly, "I know that, but please trust me, Severus."

He pressed his lips together in a thin line, still eyeing her, then finally released a breath and gave her a curt nod. If he truly trusted her, Opal couldn't tell and honestly she wasn't very hopeful for it, but she was still warmed by the idea that he'd considered it at least. Now she needed to earn that trust and maintain it, whatever that would entail. Opal had never been in a real relationship that was for anything more than satisfying certain needs so she wasn't really familiar with the etiquette of it all, plus this situation was far off from any teen romances she should have been having in school, but she was dead set on doing her best to build something with the man in front of her regardless of all the trouble it could bring them.

"I'm going to go to the commons before dinner. We'll talk again at some point, right?" She asked, stepping away and closer to the door.

Severus nodded, watching her warm smile disappear from sight as she turned towards the door. Just before she touched the handle, he called to her one last time. "Opal."

She turned, looking at him curiously. "Yes?"

His expression grew darker. "You _will_ stay away from Banks, correct? You no longer need to let him hurt you for any... anything else he may satisfy in you."

Opal nodded, eyes brightening with her smile. "Of course. I don't want anyone else to touch me now."

Accepting that answer, Severus then raised his wand and gave it a flick to unlock the door and release the silencing charm he'd cast. "Then if need be, you will come to me in private should he insist on pestering you."

She gave another nod, eyes lingering on his for as long as she felt was appropriate without seeming clingy, then headed out the door with quick steps. Severus watched her leave and his gaze remained on the door long after she was gone from view. With a sigh, he rubbed at his forehead and bent over a desk with his other hand resting on the wood. What kind of mess had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Things would remain rather uneventful for a few days after that. Nothing significant happened between professor and student, only a few lingering glances that no one would notice even if they were looking for something to notice. Opal was following the rules he had laid out, treating him as any other teacher, avoiding getting too close to him or appearing too comfortable, and not coming to him without a seriously appropriate excuse. Due to her late night activities which he had walked in on, he had also made sure she understood she was not to sneak out of bed past curfew to see him even if he was the one on night duty. There could always be other teachers out past the students' curfew, not to mention Filtch and his sneakily intuitive cat.

It was Friday when Opal found her impatience for their distance becoming too difficult to push down, so after a quick dinner she went to the library to find a book that would be worth discussing with her Potions Professor over the weekend. While it wasn't the most unique plan as she'd done things like this through the years, seeking out information purely to give her an excuse to talk to the man, she felt it was in her character enough that no one would question her. She hummed softly, sliding her finger along the spines of books in the DADA section, looking for something she hadn't already read.

That particular subject had never been a favorite of hers as the idea of needing to hurt someone even in defense of herself didn't sit well with her, so she didn't put much effort into it. However, she was aware of the Potions Master's interest in he subject as he'd had plenty of information for her whenever she brought up the topic. He would never voice it out loud, but Opal had a sneaking suspicion that he cared even more for DADA than he did for Potions. It was common knowledge through the school that Professor Snape had tried for the teaching position many times, but she was grateful it was the fairly harmless Professor Quirrell who held the position instead.

An unfamiliar title caught her eye and Opal pulled it from the shelf, flipping through the pages absentmindedly. She read paragraph headers and chapter titles, looking for something to pique her interest, when suddenly she felt a warmth at her back, making her stop as her senses focused in on the body directly behind her. A hand slid up her thigh and under her skirt to grab at her ass while she felt hot breath in her ear, making her shudder. She swallowed, trying to quickly come up with a plan on how to deal with this situation, when the person behind her spoke.

"Long time no touch, Gale, huh?" Lloyd whispered into her ear, a cocky tone to his voice.

"Not long enough." Opal retorted, glancing around her to find the most discreet exit plan.

"Aww don't be like that, babe." He whispered, getting closer to her and putting his free hand up on the shelf so as to pin her between his body and the bookshelf. "I'm sure you're mad about me leaving you with Snape last time and avoiding you all this time, but it was out of my hands. The man threatened to contact my family about my _actions_ , you know what that would have been like for me."

Indeed, Opal was aware of what kind of trouble that would put Lloyd in with his family. Not only was he breaking rules by sneaking around after curfew to make out and have sex, but specifically with a muggle-born, the latter being the real offense. Lloyd was a part of a pureblood family who prided themselves on that fact, if he was caught with her he could lose any support they would provide him with when out of school. He was in his seventh year with his future to think of, Opal had been sensitive to that plus she didn't have strong romantic feelings for him anyway so she had been fine with the sneaking around, but things were different now. She could hear Severus' words repeating in her head about how she didn't have to let him hurt her.

Gathering her courage, Opal swatted at the hand grabbing her ass and stepped to the side his arm wasn't blocking, quickly turning to face him with the book she had found clutched to her chest. Lloyd gazed at her, confused and slightly irritated. She returned his gaze with a firm one of her own, keeping her voice quiet but strict. "We're not doing this anymore, Lloyd."

"Excuse me?" His voice, sounding increasingly more irritated, had raised slightly. Opal glanced around them to make sure Madam Pince hadn't noticed them, then returned her firm gaze to the boy in front of her.

"You heard me. From now on, leave me alone, please.." Opal bit the inside of her bottom lip, scolding herself for sounding the least bit weak in that moment, then turned to get away from the uncomfortable situation as quick as possible.

Lloyd grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her back to her place in front of him. "You're not going anywhere. A mudblood slut like you has no right rejecting me."

Opal yelped softly at his rough treatment and could feel herself falling back into the role she'd settled in with Lloyd before, quiet and obedient. She glared at him, tears pricking her eyes and betraying her overpowering emotions. Seeing her start to tear up, the boy smirked and reached for her face with his free hand, stroking away the few tears that slid down. He pulled her in closer by her face as though he intended to kiss her, but instead of resisting she simply shut her eyes and waited for the inevitable. Before she felt his mouth on hers, Opal heard a loud thunk and opened her eyes to investigate the sound. Lloyd released his grip on her and had both hands holding the top of his head while he glared at something directly behind her.

"Looks like I _will_ be sending that owl to your parents, Mister Banks." Severus' voice sounded behind her, hushed due to their position in the library, but hard and threatening nonetheless.

Opal turned her head to see the Potions Master directly behind her, a large book in his outstretched hand that she assumed was the weapon he had used to assault Lloyd. There was a quick glance between the two, barely noticeable, but they were able to communicate the smallest bit of information and intention through that glance. Opal felt her face heating up, feeling small and helpless having been rescued by this man for the second time, and turned her gaze to the floor so she didn't need to look at either of them. Snape discreetly pressed a hand to her back between her shoulder blades, the gesture hidden by his dark robes, silently guiding her away from them and towards the desk where she would be able to check out her book while he remained in front of Lloyd to continue scolding the boy.

With a wipe to her eyes and a deep breath, Opal righted herself enough to walk to the librarian's desk with her bruised self worth in tow. She checked out the book she had found, smiling kindly and thanking Madam Pince, before heading out of the library quickly. Purely on instinct, she headed towards the dungeons until she found the Potions classroom, then glanced around herself to assure others weren't watching her before moving inside quickly. It was empty, obviously, as Severus was still scolding Lloyd when she had left the library, so Opal simply sat at one of the tables in the back of the room and read through her book. She stayed liked that for a while, reading to keep her mind busy as she waited, until she heard the door to the classroom shut and popped her head up to find her Potions Profession standing there watching her.

There was a heavy air of silence between them, the two simply staring at each other for a long minute, until Snape broke his gaze from hers to strut across the room and stop at the door to his private office. Without looking to her again, he opened the door and gestured with his hand to follow him. "Miss Gale, come."

Responding to his words instantly, Opal shut her book and held it to her chest then leapt from her chair to hurry behind him. She followed his gesture, passing him to enter his office before him and stood waiting while he entered and shut the door after him. Facing each other then, their eyes met again and Severus found himself falling into her pale blue gaze and weakening by the sight of it. With the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand to stroke her cheek tenderly, feeling his breath catch in his throat when she leaned into the touch so easily.

"Thank you..." Opal spoke softly, eyes closing as she relaxed by his touch.

Severus swallowed, steadying his mind slightly before he spoke just as softly. "Are you hurt at all?"

Opal looked up at that and shrugged. She pulled up the sleeve of her sweater and shirt underneath, revealing a pinkish red mark on her forearm where Lloyd had grabbed her. "It's kind of sore, is all. It will go away.

Silently, Severus took her arm in his hands and studied the mark. After a moment, he slid his fingers gently over the mark and they both watched as the red skin slowly faded to her natural pale tone. Opal shot her eyes up to him, taking in his serious expression, then smiled a little as she glanced back down at her forearm. The soreness was gone as was the mark, he had healed it with a touch of wordless magic, and it all made her feel warmer than she knew was possible. Guided by the Potions Master, the two made their way to a dark grey loveseat in the middle of the room close to the door, a dark wood coffee table sitting in front of it.

Once seated, Opal offered up her book to her professor and smiled sheepishly. "I was looking for something we could discuss together, as professor and pupil... being as we haven't talked much since that day."

Raising an eyebrow, Severus regarded her curiously and took the book from her hands. He opened it and glanced at the first few pages. It was one with which he was familiar, filled with testimonials of witches and wizards alike and their experiences with dueling many centuries ago. A smirk formed on his lips, and he shut the book while eying the young Hufflepuff. He couldn't believe she'd checked this out for her own interest as for as long as he'd known her she had an aversion to anything in regards to battles and duels.

"Did you really want to discuss the book, Opal?" He asked knowingly.

She fidgeted slightly, biting at her bottom lip and looking away from his stern gaze. "I'd be happy to discuss it with you... if it means I get to spend some time with you."

Her bold honesty fed into his ego a bit, but he tried not to let it bloat his head too much as he placed the book on the coffee table in front of them. Opal watched him move, gaze moving from his empty hand to his eyes again and feeling her heart start to beat faster. There was confidence in his movements now as he placed his palm to her cheek and stared down at her with what some would see as a blank stare, but Opal could see something else in his gaze, something that made her body heat up. She leaned towards him slightly, lips parted just a bit, watching and waiting for him to respond.

Severus stroked her cheeks affectionately, then moved his hand to her jaw and held her chin between his thumb and pointer finger. "Would you like to do something else instead?" His words were soft, barely above a whisper, and so inviting.

Opal only found herself able nod in response to his question, eyelids drifting shut as the space between them grew smaller and smaller, until lips pressed together in a sweet and innocent kiss. Severus moved slowly, kissing her gently as he considered the difficult situation he had pulled her from not too long before. It was Opal who moved things forward quicker, placing her hands on his shoulders and pressing her chest against his as she opened her mouth to deepen their kissing. He couldn't deny her then, moving a hand to her waist and pulling her against him tighter and sliding his tongue into her mouth to caress her tongue with care. The sides of their hips pressed together as they were turned a bit awkwardly at the waist while sitting side by side on the loveseat.

With quickening movements, Severus slid his hand from her chin to the back of her neck, holding her mouth against his as he leaned over her slightly to kiss more aggressively. Opal released a soft whine into his mouth, feeling her head get fuzzy from all the heat between them, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Motivated by her sounds, he kissed down her chin and neck, stopping in one spot to lick and suckle her delicate skin. At the attention to her neck, Opal continued to whine, leaning her head back so he could have as much access as possible. While still licking and sucking at her neck, he moved his hands to her hips and caressed her gently, slipping tentative fingers under the hem of her shirt to rub her skin there.

Before long, Opal's strength weakened and she laid back onto the loveseat, head resting on the armrest, and Severus found himself hovering above her with his mouth still to her neck. The position had become precarious then, and he was well aware of it. With a final kiss to her delicate neck, he lifted himself up to the seated position he had started in, though he was panting and one hand still rested on her hip. He looked up at the ceiling as he caught his breath, then glanced back down to the Hufflepuff. Her breathing had slowed at that point, but she still had a dreamy expression and a bright red face. He took a deep breath and reached for her, pulled her up by her shoulders, then pulled her body flush against his in a tender embrace.

Opal rested into the Potions Master's arms, adjusting her seated position slightly so one of her legs slung over his leg and she was able to press into his chest fully. She rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a soft sigh, and smiled gently. "Is that all I get..?" She asked playfully.

Severus rolled his eyes but stroked the back of her hair affectionately. "For now, yes."

They stayed like that, talking softly while holding each other, for a long while until the clock on the wall said Opal would need to hurry back to her dormitory if she didn't want to be late for curfew. After a few parting kiss, she scooped up the book they had discarded earlier and let Severus lead her out of his office and classroom. There was an obvious bounce in her step, he noticed, as she left down the hall. He couldn't help the enjoyment he had at watching her walk away happier than she had arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I truly hope this chapter is enjoyed :) I really liked writing it. I'm getting more comfortable with these characters so I hope that comes through. For anyone concerned with where the smut is... it's gonna come, I just want them to move relatively slowly. The only thing that isn't slow is the establishment of their 'relationship' in a sense... this is mainly because I don't like writing pining, I like showing established relationships or attraction between characters and what they do with it.
> 
> Let me know what you think! It means a lot!


	4. Never Enough Moments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I whole heartedly suggest that everyone listen to the full song that is mentioned in today's chapter as it's so... perfect for these two. I had a hard time choosing which lyrics to post from it, honestly, every part of it just suits their relationship.

I'm not yours, and you're not mine

But we can sit and pass the time

No fighting wars, no ringing chimes

We're just feeling fine

**Quiet by Lights**

000

"Hey, Opal."

Said girl raised her head and offered a gentle smile to her roommate, Daffodil Agrivir. She was a sweet girl, quiet, with honey colored hair usually in a long braid down her back and chestnut eyes. She offered a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck, and Opal had a feeling she knew what this was about.

"Yes?" Opal asked, already mentally preparing herself.

Daffodil slowly moved from her bed and sat on the edge of Opal's, a text book and some parchment in her hands. "Would you mind looking over my potions homework? Just to make sure it's done right before I give it to Snape tomorrow."

Opal nodded, taking the parchment from the girl's hand. "I don't mind, I'll take a look."

The blonde's smile grew and she quickly moved back to her own bed, mostly likely to complete some more homework before the weekend was over. Opal glanced over the girl's work, reading quick and checking for any mistakes, and jotted down a few notes on a separate piece of parchment for Daffodil to consider. Opal believed the girl to always be rather bright, she'd done well in potions along side her since their first year together, but she was lacking heavily in confidence. She wasn't afraid to work hard though, ready to correct herself and her work when needed.

A clock chimed on the side table next to Opal's bed, reading one o'clock in the afternoon. After a couple more quick notes, Opal quickly handed the parchment and notes back to her roommate. "Sorry to rush off, it's time for my piano lesson."

Daffodil nodded with a smile and waved her off, all too familiar with her schedule after rooming with her all year.

Opal rushed through the halls and up the stairs, a folder of sheet music clutched in her arms. While a there were a few students that participated in the school's small orchestra and the choir, music wasn't a very popular subject as it was considered a muggle class. Not that Opal cared much about that, coming from a family of muggles after all. She'd been playing the piano since she was about 5 years old, picking it up rather quickly and well in her youth. Going to Hogwarts was not going to stop that, on the contrary, it was a condition placed by her father that she continue to play piano while going to this _so called magical school_.

Richard Gale, Opal's father, had a hard time believing in all of the magic at first. He and Opal's mother, Ruby, had divorced only three years before Opal received her letter on her 11th birthday, and thus wasn't present in the house when the representative from Hogwarts came to explain the magical world to them. Ruby had called him, sounding as bewildered and dumbstruck as you can imagine, and gave the great news. At first he had assumed she was trying to play a trick on him, pull one over on him, then he wondered if she'd gone crazy, and finally he was sure she had been drinking or, God forbid, gotten her hands on some kind of drugs.

It took quite a few lengthy and loud phone calls, as Richard still lived in America with his family while Opal and her mother moved to London after the divorce, but Ruby was finally able to convince her ex husband to _just let her go to the damn school_ , as she put it. Piano was the one thing he asked for, even donating a lovely baby grand to the school when he learned they didn't have a piano but an old fashioned harpsichord instead. Much to his surprised when he asked where to have it delivered, he was assured that if it was sent to Ruby's home then the representative from Hogwarts would be able to take it from there when they came back to fetch Opal and her mother to take them shopping for supplies and to take Opal to the train.

The school piano seemed to belong more to Opal than the school as she was the only one who actually played it. She'd play with the orchestra and during the choir performances, lower level music than she was used to, but she also continued her own private practice every Sunday as there were no classes she needed to attend. Professor Flitwick had even given her a key to the music room so she was free to play the piano whenever she wanted and had time to. The room was a bit of an escape to her, even turning into a hiding place for when she had been sneaking around with Lloyd.

Opal entered the music room and immediately headed to the side room which held her piano. Her heart almost went into her throat when she caught sight of her Potions Professor sitting down on the piano bench with his back to the instrument and his left ankle resting on the opposite knee. He glanced up at her, stoic expression ever present, then returned his gaze to the book in his lap. Though Opal had invited him to join her for her private piano practice on a whim, she honestly didn't believe he would actually show up. Resisting the urge to fling herself into him, she stepped slowly to the piano and placed her folder on the music rack before taking a seat on the bench.

"I wondered when you would make your appearance, Miss Gale." Severus said plainly, flipping a page in his book.

She pulled out a piece of music she'd been working on, purposefully keeping her eyes on the sheet music instead of looking to the man beside her. "I was caught up helping Daffodil with her homework, homework you assigned, actually."

"Hmm." Was the only response he gave.

With a deep breath, Opal laid her fingers on the keys and gave her full attention to the instrument's sheet music. The sounds of her playing filled the room, gentle tones of a piece she'd been working on lately. Occasionally she'd brush against Severus' back with her arm as she reached for lower notes, but he made no sign of irritation or discomfort from the touch. He simply listened, silently taking in the beauty of her music while pretending to be completely interested in his book.

Opal could feel herself relax more the longer she played, taken in by the calm and peace of expressing herself through her craft. The fact that Severus was there made it even better, as she felt she was expressing herself to him in ways she had never been able to before. Through her years at Hogwarts she'd been in his world, the world of magic that she knew so little of, and each class with him she was enraptured by his teachings. This was her chance to bring him to her world, to bewitch him with her art instead of the flick of a wand or a bubbling cauldron. Playing a piano may not be magical in this world, but it was in hers.

When the piece was finished, she released a breath and looked to the man beside her, expecting some kind of response. Severus could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't meet her gaze as he was sure he'd lose himself in it. Instead, he brushed against her shoulder with the back of his fingers before returning his hand to his lap.

"Continue."

The word was spoken slowly, softly, but it warmed Opal's heart all the same. She knew that if he wasn't enjoying himself while listening to her, he wouldn't be staying for more. A smile played on her lips and she moved her sheet music around to get to the next piece she was suppose to be practicing. Severus listened silently as she played, feeling each time she brushed against him, and calmed by not only her music but by her very presence as well. This continued for about a couple of hours, Opal replaying pieces and certain parts for practice as well as doing simple exercises like scales and arpeggios. She even fooled around with something she had been writing, mouthing the words to the song she was working on instead of singing it as she wasn't confident enough to sing alone in front of the Potions Master quite yet.

"That's all I need to do for today." Opal spoke softly, tucking her sheet music back into her folder and glancing to him from the corner of her eye.

Severus nodded, finally looking to her and meeting her pale blue gaze. "Do you have work to finish for any classes?"

Nibbling at her lip softly, Opal turned on the piano bench to face him. "Perhaps a little..."

"Then that is what you should be doing." He said sternly, as though there was no point in arguing.

She pouted a little and reached for his hand while pressing her chest into his upper arm slightly. "A little more time wouldn't hurt, would it?"

Doing his best not to be influenced by her body against his or the sweet sound of her voice, Severus stood suddenly, towering over Opal's seated form. She looked up at him innocently, a fist clutched to her chest. He could feel his resolve weakening just from the look in her eyes, that trusting gaze that made him feel as though he was someone else entirely instead of the wicked soul he knew himself to be. Though he held firm on his decision to send her off, he tried to ease it slightly by cupping her cheek and caressing it with his thumb. She leaned into his touch easily just as she always did. _Foolish girl._

"One thing I do not intend to do is get in the way of your studies." Severus' words were firm, but his touch remained gentle as he stroked her cheek. When she nodded, conceding to him, he rewarded her by leaning down to place a soft kiss to her lips. Though he told himself it was _her_ reward, inside he knew that wasn't the full truth. He didn't linger in it, though, knowing that it could lead to his resolve being too weak to maintain, stepping back to create distance when he released her face. "Now run off. I will leave after you so as not to create suspicion."

Face still warm and heart thudding in her chest, Opal gathered her music folder and quickly followed his instructions with only a lingering glance as she left the room. Severus sat back down on the piano bench and flipped open his book, absentmindedly scanning pages in an attempt to remove the feel of her from his mind. It was futile, he knew, especially since this room and this piano held more intimate memories than the ones they created today, but he continued to give it his best efforts.

* * *

Interactions like these would go on for a little over a month. Severus would be waiting for Opal at her piano whenever it was time for her practice, would listen silently next to her while reading or doing work of his own, and they'd share a kiss or two before he sent her off to be the proper student she was suppose to be. She couldn't complain really, it was more interaction than she assumed she'd be getting with him, but each time he touched her and pulled away she could feel herself longing for more. Even if they only spent more time together talking, she'd be content.

This was the safest way to proceed, she guessed, as no one was to interrupt her during her piano practice so they were sure to be left alone. She also knew better than to think there would be many instances like the time in his office. Severus had been extra attentive and affectionate that night simply because he had found Lloyd grabbing at her in the library, that was all. There were rules in place, rules he had set so as to keep their secret as secure as possible, but she still found herself feeling restless and needing more of him. This restlessness had Opal thinking of other ways she would be able to see her professor without pretenses, but all her mind could come up with was her previous technique of asking for his input on a new piece of information she discovered, as well as getting herself detention.

Throughout her years at Hogwarts, Opal had never been punished with detention before. In her early years she was more interested in her studies than anything else, thus she hadn't found any trouble to get into. This year was the first time she'd actually broken a rule, sneaking out past curfew with Lloyd, and the Potions Master had been the only one to ever catch them. She wasn't sure where to start when actually seeking detention. Did she talk back? Mouth off? Or would that just get points taken away? She wasn't going to mess up or cheat in class as that could effect her grades. She also didn't want to fight with another student or say something inappropriate or cruel as a means for detention, that was going too far.

Biting the bullet, she decided on bending a rule set by Severus instead of breaking one placed by the school, hoping his reaction wouldn't be too abrasive. A part of her also hoped he was feeling restless and in need of more of her company as well, but she tried not to linger on that for fear of the disappointment the hope may bring.

Monday afternoon during potions class, Opal waited as patiently as possible for the class to end so she could bring her plan up to the professor. She knew if she appeared too eager, it could cause suspicion in her classmates or even the Potions Master himself, so she tried to keep herself calm during the lengthy class. The work tables were full of ingredients and cauldrons were bubbling with a greyish green brew while everyone was focused intently on their work. Professor Snape slowly paced around the room, arms behind his back as he surveyed each student's work.

It was a relatively small class of only 12 students as Snape only took those with an Outstanding on their O.W.L.s into his 6th and 7th year classes. Five Ravenclaw; Billy Foster, Caleb Green, Grant Oble, Nathan Adams, and Quinn Kinsley; four Slytherin, Harris Karta, Noah Robinson, Hannah Pane, and Grace Mauvaise, only one Gryffindor named Thomas Candidus, while Opal and Daffodil were the only Hufflepuffs. Since Opal had been in class with these students for all of her years, she was rather familiar with them, but she admitted she only found herself somewhat close to Daffodil and Thomas. In fact, Thomas was currently dating her best friend, so she knew more about him than he may have even realized. He was intelligent and handsome, if a bit boastful, but she was still happy to know Hunter had gotten himself quite a catch in the boy even if she wasn't fully trusting of him.

Sprinkling the last ingredient slowing into her cauldron, Opal watched attentively and took notes while the color of her potion shifted from the greyish green to a bright forest green. The bubbles increased, as they should, and Opal jotted down the reaction before turning the fire off. Severus had just come upon her table then, glancing down at the state of her brew, and gave a small approving nod to her before shifting his eyes away and continuing his pace around the room. Opal couldn't help the grin that spread across her face at his silent approval, so she lowered her head down into a notebook so no one could see the glee on her face or the rosiness of her cheeks. Even the smallest things he did made her feel as though her body could float away and that had only intensified as of late.

When the period ended, everyone having already cleaned their stations and headed for the door, Opal stayed put at her desk with her book bag slung over her shoulder. She held her spot, notebook clutched in her hands, looking intently at her potions professor seated at his desk. Daffodil waited for her at the door, confused why she wasn't leaving with everyone else, but Opal waved her off.

"I have something to ask the professor about today's lesson, so go on without me, I'll catch up." She said with a gentle smile.

Daffodil nodded, knowing that her friend often picked many of the professors' brains, and left the classroom before shutting the heavy door behind her.

That left Opal alone with Severus, and in the privacy of the empty Potions classroom, their gazes were able to meet with more relaxed familiarity. Severus stood from his desk and sauntered towards her with his arms crossed over his chest, long black robes billowing around him. "What question do you have today, Miss Gale?"

Opal shoved her notebook in her bag and stood from her seat, then walked to quickly meet him in the middle of the room, leaving not nearly enough distance between them for a student and teacher. She clutched the strap of her bag tightly, trying to keep her nerves in check. "May I speak... freely, sir?"

Severus raised a dark eyebrow, catching the hint of something covert in her words, then raised his wand to lock the door and place a quick silencing charm on the room while keeping his eyes on her. "Go on." His tone was deep and slow.

The Hufflepuff beamed then, knowing just what he'd done, and leaned in a little closer to him. "Perhaps not today as I stayed after of my own volition, but I've been wanting you to keep me... after class. Just to stay with you a little longer." Her expression softened then, looking a bit nervous but holding his gaze intently. "I've... missed you, Severus."

He couldn't help the way her words made his chest feel tighter, but he was able to contain his response. Slowly, he moved one hand to her face and cupped her full, soft cheek, stroking gently with his thumb as he had a number of times. How he longed to do more, to hold her tighter, closer, to pull her into his arms whenever the feeling came upon him, but he had been restraining himself. Opal leaned into his hand, a gentle smile playing on her supple pink lips, and she raised her own hand to take a gentle hold of his wrist.

"Why did you not mentioned this to me in the music room yesterday instead of coming to me today without a proper reason?" He asked, voice low and almost threatening, but she could still feel his gentleness.

Opal pouted then, brows scrunched together in innocent frustration. "I didn't decide to do this until last night... I've actually been wracking my brain trying to think of a way to get you to give me detention so I'd have proper reason to be here."

He chuckled lightly at that and pinched her cheek playfully. "Opal... you wanted punishment so you could be in my company?"

Her shoulders bounced in a shrug and she smiled sheepishly. "I mean... it sounds bad when you put it that way. But I guess that's about right, yes."

With a shake of his head and a defeated sigh, Severus pulled his hand away from her and turned, strutting back to his desk. "Admittedly, I am surprised at you, Miss Gale. I would not have expected this behavior from you."

She slumped slightly, biting her lip at the sound of her last name from him. "Are you mad?"

"Oh yes." He said plainly, a hit of mockery in his tone, then leaned over his desk to jot something down on a scrap piece of parchment. When he rose and turned back to her, holding the parchment between his fingers and stretching his arm out to her, there was an amused smirk across his lips. "Quite furious."

Opal slowly stepped up to him to take the proffered scrap of paper, a bit of uncertainty in her gaze. She glanced down at the words, noting that it was just a note excusing her tardiness to her next period, Study Hall. She raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking for an explanation.

"You'll need that today." Severus explained, gesturing to the note. "But I will be informing your Head of House that you will be serving detention in the dungeons with me for the rest of the week after dinner, specifically for your... _attitude._ "

She shook her head and giggled slightly, holding the note to her chest. "That sounds just horrible, I'm sure I've learned my lesson, sir. I do hope your detentions are not too terrible."

Severus crossed his arms over his chest again, still smirking down at her. "You will survive, I'm sure."

Feeling elated and emboldened by his words, Opal raised on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his in a sweet and chaste kiss, but as she made to pull away she felt his hands take a firm hold of her face and he kissed her with more intensity. His mouth moved against hers with a heat she hadn't felt in what seemed like forever, and her lips parted in response, asking, begging, for more. His long fingers slid into her hair, twisting into the dark curls gently, as his tongue moved into her mouth to display the need he himself had been holding back for so long. Every time he had to watch her in class, had to sit with her in the music room, sharing space with borders they were not meant to cross, he could feel his willpower crippled by her very presence.

When they pulled apart, chests rising and falling with quick breaths, Opal's face was beautifully flushed and Severus again fought the urge to take more than he should. Gently, he placed a kiss to her forehead and released her, putting a little space between them. "Go on now, Opal, before you are too late for that note to do you any good."

After a moment of just looking at him, admiring his sharp features and deep soulful eyes, she nodded and turned to rush out of the room. With the flick of his wrist, Severus unlocked the door and released the silencing charm as he had done before, but Opal didn't stop to look at him when he did. She simply pulled the door open and hurried to her Study Hall, her heart fluttering in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly think my version of Snape is sweeter than most lol perhaps just more gentle, but I have him being a little teasing here too.
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter and if you listen to the song I'd love to know your thoughts on that as well. :) I hope everything is well received. Your feedback and comments mean so much to me, truly, I couldn't be more grateful.


	5. Schedule Information

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took some time to work out what Opal's schedule would be like in her 6th and 7th years, just figured I'd post it here for context. This is only the 6th year. When we get to her 7th year, which we will, I'll post that schedule as well. I did just post a full regular chapter for anyone who is concerned, if you're seeing this before that please go back and check it out! <3
> 
> I'm also using this to post her O.W.L. scores for anyone who is curious.

**Class Schedules**

Monday - Friday

 **1st** 8am - 9am

 **2nd** 9:10am - 10:10am

 **3rd** 10:20am - 11:20am

 **4th** 11:30am - 12:30pm

 **5th** 1:40pm - 2:40pm

 **6th** 2:50pm - 3:50pm

 **7th** 4pm - 5pm

Everyday

 **Breakfast** 6:45am - 7:45am

 **Lunch** 12:30 - 1:30

 **Dinner** 6pm

Other Notable times

 **Library** closes at 8pm

 **Curfew** 11pm (unless otherwise stated by staff)

6th Year Schedule for Miss Opal Eudora Gale

(All of her classes, aside from Music, are N.E.W.T. level at this point.)

**Monday**

**1st** Music

 **2nd** Herbology

 **3rd** Herbology

 **4th** Divination

 **5th** Potions

 **6th** Potions

 **7th** Study Hall

**Tuesday**

**1st** Music

 **2nd** History of Magic

 **3rd** Charms

 **4th** Charms

 **5th** Potions

 **6th** Potions

 **7th** Study Hall

**Wednesday**

**1st** Music

 **2nd** History of Magic

 **3rd** Charms

 **4th** Charms

 **5th** Potions

 **6th** Potions

 **7th** Study Hall

**Thursday**

**1st** Music

 **2nd** History of Magic

 **3rd** Free Period

 **4th** Divination

 **5th** Potions

 **6th** Potions

 **7th** Study Hall

**Friday**

**1st** Music

 **2nd** Herbology

 **3rd** Herbology

 **4th** Divination

 **5th** Potions

 **6th** Potions

 **7th** Study Hall

Do note that if a class is in two periods back to back, this class extends into both periods and the 10 minutes of allotted time to move between classes is simply added to the duration of the class as a whole.

**O.W.L.s Taken and Scores**

Transfiguration - O

Potions - O

Charms - E

Divination - O

Herbology - E

Astronomy - O

History of Magic - E


	6. Four Days of Detention - Part 1 - Exploration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer than the others, I hope that makes up for how long it's been since the last chapter. I'm happy to get this out and I'm currently working on the rest of the "Four Days of Detention" parts. Having parts like this is a first for me, but I have a theme I'm working with for each part so it kind of motivates me like writing prompts... this one is as the chapter title suggests.
> 
> Truly hope you enjoy <3

Don't even talk about the consequence

'Cause right now you're the only thing that's making any sense to me

And I don't give a damn what they say, or what they think, think

'Cause you're the only one who's on my mind

**Untouched by The Veronicas**

000

"Tell me again what it is you did to get detention?"

Opal heaved a sigh and shoveled another spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth before glaring at the boy next to her. He only continued to stare intensely, as though she was an intricate puzzle he was trying to figure out. Hunter had been no less than astounded that his friend could even get detention, especially after she'd lucked out of punishment for sneaking out of bed after curfew. He thought perhaps the Potions Master had a soft spot for her because she was one of his best students, but now it was him who gave her detention. Things just didn't make sense anymore.

"Look," she started with a mouthful of potatoes then swallowed, "I had a bad day and mouthed off to him. I guess he just wasn't putting up with my attitude this time."

"But what did you _say_?" Hunter asked, still confused as Opal wasn't one to just _mouth off_ to a teacher.

She shrugged, pushing a few peas around on her dinner plate. "I don't really remember, honestly. It was a heat of the moment kind of thing. You should understand that, Hunter."

The boy sighed and threw his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close. "I get it, okay? You have something going on and it's stressing you out. Next time just come to me, mouth off to me instead of a professor so you don't get into this kind of mess again." He smiled apologetically. "Now you're going to have to suffer four nights of detention with Snape of all people. That's a special kind of punishment."

Opal rolled her eyes. "He'll probably just have me clean or something, can't be that bad."

"It's not the punishment that will be bad." Hunter retorted, his face scrunched up in disgust. "It's the company that will suck."

"He isn't that bad, you know." She said softly, trying not to sound too passionate about that as she didn't want to lead her friend's thought in any direction. "Especially now that we're older. He was mostly irritated with everyone when we were young because we were all idiot children."

"We were all idiot children except for _you._ " He emphasized his point by poking her in the side, grinning. "You've always been the student he wanted. Intelligent, quiet, attentive, actually interested in the topic."

"Right, so actually there to _learn_?" She responded smartly, returning his grin.

"Exactly!" Hunter raised his hands in the air expressively, smile widening.

Opal couldn't help giggling at his antics and shook her head, returning her attention to her dinner plate. They continued to talk while eating, subject turning quickly to Hunter's recent adventures with Thomas in Hogsmeade. The boys had been getting along rather well recently, making Hunter wonder when Thomas was going to be able to openly date him. Hunter was pretty comfortable with himself as being gay, while Thomas hadn't gotten there quite yet. The Hufflepuff boy understood in his own way, coming out hadn't been an entirely easy experience for him, but he was still a little anxious to be open about their relationship.

As dinner winded down, only a handful of students remaining at each house table, Opal took a quick glance up to the teachers' table to spot her potions professor. He had been discussing something with Professor Flitwick for the majority of the evening, that ever present bored expression on his face, but as though he could feel her eyes on him he looked up to meet her gaze. They stared knowingly at each other for only a few moments before the pair shifted their eyes away at the same time to avoid suspicion. Quickly shoving the last few bites of a slice of pie into her mouth, Opal gave a final goodbye to Hunter, grabbed her bag, and slowly walked out of the great hall.

Having barely made it out of the doorway, Opal nearly ran into her herbology professor and smiled up at her sheepishly before trying to move around the large woman. Professor Sprout cut her off easily with her hands placed firmly on her shoulders, holding Opal in place. She looked down at the sixth year with a disapproving stare, though there was a hit of confusion in those earth toned eyes.

"Miss Gale, a word?"

Opal gripped at the strap of her bag nervously, knowing for sure what was going to come out of the woman's mouth. "Of course, Professor."

"Now I won't keep you long," she started, placing a hand on Opal's back and gently leading her down the hall at her side to walk and talk. "I know you're on your way to detention with Professor Snape and I would _not_ want to keep you from that. However, that is the very subject I wish to discuss with you."

"Yes ma'am, I understand. I am sorry, Professor, I'm sure you're disappointed in me." Opal tried to sound distraught and repentant, though it was rather difficult as she knew she hadn't actually done anything wrong in the first place and the detention was all a sham.

"I can't say I was thrilled to hear you had talked back to a teacher so severely that it warranted detention, it was quite the shock, really. However, my opinion of you is not worse for it, dear." Sprout patted her back affectionately. "Really, I'm not here to reprimand you, you'll be receiving your punishment for your actions and I don't wish to pile on top of that. I would simply like to remind you that if you are under stress of any kind or if there is something bothering you… you're always welcome to come to me, Opal."

The fact that no one seemed to believe Opal could mouth off to a teacher made her wonder if everyone really saw her as such a goody-two-shoes as that wasn't what she wanted to project to the world. While it was nice to know people thought highly of her, she also didn't want to seem like a stick in the mud or a brown-noser with professors, she was a teenager after all, making mistakes and rebellion should be expected of her. Still, she was aware that wasn't really what mattered at the moment and moved her attention away from how she thought others perceived her. She tried to smile at her Head of house, offering her the best of her 'top ranked student' personality.

"Of course, Professor, but there really isn't anything bothering me. I just had a bad day and lost control of my mouth."

Sprout offered the girl a gentle smile, stopping in the middle of the hall and turning to face her, hands on her shoulders again. "Happens to the best of us, my dear, myself included. Do try to keep it controlled from now on, eh? I know how you kids feel about Professor Snape and his… well, less than warm teaching style, but try not to let him get to you."

She nodded, smiling warmly. "I'll do my best, Professor. I really don't wish to disappoint you."

"Now, now," she said, squeezing her shoulder and shaking it slightly. "It's hard to envision a world where _you_ could disappoint me, Opal. You're a bright witch of your age with a good head on your shoulders and a good heart, you'll be fine."

There was a slight tint to her cheeks at the praise. "Thank you, that means a lot coming from you."

"Of course, dear. Run along now." Sprout pressed on her back, directing her towards the dungeons. "No need to make things worse by having him wait for you."

Opal nodded before leaving her professor behind, rushing to the dungeons as though she was afraid to be late and not just because she was excited to see the Potions Master in a more private setting. Once reaching his classroom, she pulled open the large door and found the room empty. She figured she would arrive before him as she'd left dinner first so she wasn't surprised. Closing the door behind her, Opal moved to one of the work tables and hopped on top of it, making herself comfortable in the familiar space. She pulled out a personal notebook of her own and a pen, a muggle tool she enjoyed using whenever not doing work for class, and started to jot down a letter to send to her mother.

Since she was their only child and they even had to share her time with each other during breaks due to the divorce, both of her parents insisted she write to them at least once a week while in school. The two muggles didn't want to limit their daughter's growth by keeping her from the magic world, but they also had a hard time accepting that their little girl was so far away in a world they couldn't access and could barely understand. Opal did her best to educate them on things she learned in school and by her friends, trying to ease their worries with information and facts, but there wasn't much that could be done for the worrying of a loving mother or father. Even if she thought it unnecessary and found it hard to come up with things to talk about without being repetitive, she figured a letter once a week to calm their nerves wasn't too much to ask.

Just as she signed the letter, _With Love, Your Daughter, Opal,_ she heard the familiar sound of the classroom door opening. She grinned, refusing to look back so as not to appear too eager, and ripped the letter from her notebook, folded it twice, and shoved it in her bag to take down to the owlery the next day. Still without looking to the man at the door, she started on the letter for her father. Snape's slow steps sounded through the room until he was stopped directly behind her, face level with the back of her head while she sat on the work table. He placed his hands on the table on each of her sides, leaning in slightly to peer at her face over her shoulder. Opal only continued to grin and write, teasing him slightly by ignoring his domineering presence.

"What are you writing?" He asked softly, slowly.

His deep voice sent shivers up her spine as his hot breath moved across her ear. Opal bit her lip then, trying to focus past the fluttering of her heart. "A letter to my father. He worries about me being here too much, being a muggle and all."

"Hmm." One of his hands moved to her arm, slowly running his fingers from her elbow to her shoulder over her sweater. "And you mother? Does she worry over you?"

She shook her head slightly then looked back at him, finally giving into her desire to meet his eyes. His stare was intense, deep, making Opal feel lost and found all at the same time. "Not as much. Though still muggle, she's a little more open minded, more trusting."

Severus chuckled and placed a gentle peck to her temple then smirked at her. "And look what you do with that trust."

Opal scrunched up her nose and rolled her eyes, turning away from him again as her face heated. "I've done nothing wrong."

"Perhaps." He said slowly, moving his fingers from her shoulder to brush against her bare neck just under her chin. "Though I doubt they would approve."

Reacting to his touch instantly, she tipped her head back to reveal more of her neck to his fingers, relishing in the gentle touch. "Like I care... what others approve of."

He gripped her jaw then, gently tilting her head to the side so as to pepper kisses along her neck softly. Opal moved easily within his grasp, happy to take what he could give and as his tongue moved across her skin, she felt the heat from her face moved through her body as well. She released her hold on her notebook, allowing it to fall into her lap, and reached back to grab at the back of the older man's neck and moved her fingers into his hairline. Soft, barely audible, moans escaped her throat, urging Severus forward with his attention to her throat. Grunting hungrily, he took a bit of her skin into his mouth and sucked, loving the sound he was able to pull from her with this. When he finally released her skin with a gentle _pop,_ he licked across the mark that was slowly forming and grinned to himself.

"Oh Severus..." Opal breathed out, leaning her head back against his shoulder as she felt herself weaken to his touch. "That always feels... so amazing with you... Why is that?"

This fed his ego heavily, making the man smirk down at the woman leaning against him. "Perhaps no one else knew what they were doing, nor cared to, I assume."

She smiled and kissed his jaw quickly before leaning up and away from him, moving to shove her notebook and pen into her bag as she avoided meeting his gaze. "Maybe. Could be something else. Hard to say."

One dark eyebrow raised at her comment, but he quickly forced his curiosity away and moved from behind her, walking to his desk before taking a seat behind it. "My apologies, Opal, I have some work that needs to be completed tonight so I won't be able to give you my full attention for the entirety of our time together." Severus glanced up at her then, appreciating the attentive stare she gave him. "You are welcome to use this time to study instead, if you like."

Opal shrugged and leapt down from her place on the work table, leaving her bag behind as she walked up to his desk. She smiled and leaned forward with her hands resting against the desk. "Anything I can help with? We could pretend this is real detention."

Severus chuckled lightly, shuffling papers across his desk so he didn't have to look at her cheeky grin and suggestive pose. "If this were a real detention I would have you scrubbing out filthy cauldrons by hand for the rest of the evening then writing a paper about the experience and what it taught you. Would you prefer that?"

Squatting down in front of his desk, she rested her chin against her fingers on the desk and stared up at him innocently. "Not particularly. Anything else I can do?"

He eyed her for a moment, enjoying her gazing up at him in such an innocent way while knowing she could be anything but. With a sigh, Severus motioned for her to rise then handed a stack of papers to her. "These are tests taken by my second years, I trust you can grade them without trouble."

Opal took the stack of papers eagerly, smiling brightly. "Of course, I'd be happy to." She quickly grabbed her bag from the work table as well as a chair which she pulled up next to his desk before settling in it. Severus watched her with a stoic expression, then forced himself to turn his attention to the work in front of him as she started grading with the quill and ink he offered her.

While the silence between them may have felt awkward to some, to Opal and Severus it was a comfortable and familiar setting for them to be in as they barely spoke whenever the Potions Master would join her for her piano practice. No words needed to be said between the pair, the company alone was enough. Hours passed quickly, the majority of the sound in the cold dungeon was the scratching of quills against paper while Opal would occasionally speaking up to state she had finished grading before Severus offered her another stack. Sometimes she would huff in irritation at a rather despicable paper, asking how a student could do so horribly in his class, while Severus could offer nothing more than a shake of his head in return, sharing in her irritation.

"I think that's all I can take." Opal grumbled, putting away her quill and placing the stack of papers in his 'done' pile.

The Potions Master smirked, appreciating the rare sight of her frustration. "Patience running thin, Opal?"

She rolled her eyes and slumped back in her chair, mentally exhausted. "Well at least when people ask for my help, I know they're actually trying. Some of those," she gestured to the pile of tests, "it's like they don't even care."

"Indeed. Makes one wonder if they will ever care." He commented lightly, continuing his work.

Opal glanced over to her potions professor, watching the calm focus on his face as he moved his quill quickly over a piece of parchment. Silently, she wondered if he realized how attractive he was or if anyone else did for that matter. With his sharp features, high cheekbones, deep eyes, and smooth pale skin, she considered him undeniably beautiful. Aside from looks alone, the man held an air of unapproachability that made him seem mysterious and interesting, like she would never be able to uncover all of his secrets no matter how hard she tried. This fact only made the Hufflepuff want to try hard, dig deeper, and get closer, do anything she needed to in order to be welcomed into his mind. She leaned forward slightly, not even realizing it as she did, and only stopped when his eyes shot over to meet her gaze, staring her down intensely.

"Something on my face interest you?" Severus asked sternly, gaze hard.

Biting at her lip, Opal fed into her instincts and desires and started to lean closer to him once again. "Everything, actually..."

Her words were barely above a whisper, but they still took the Potions Master by surprise. He focused on her and found himself getting lost in her pale blue gaze, as he had found himself many times, and his expression softened. He didn't protest when her delicate fingers slowly moved across his jaw and over his cheeks, only hypnotized further by her touch, and followed her lead as she pulled their faces closer. When their lips brushed together, eyes drifting shut, Severus returned her gentle touch with his own hands taking a hold of her waist. As their kisses continued, growing deeper and hotter by the second, Opal leaned further into the man and twisted her fingers into the dark strand of his hair. His hands guided her to him, pulling her body close until she found herself straddling one of his legs, her thigh brushing against the space between his legs.

The more he felt her sumptuous body against him, the more Severus wanted her. Without thinking, his hands moved up the back of her shirt so he could press his fingers into her delicate skin. Opal arched slightly from his touch, pressing her chest into his even more as his fingers moved along her back. She panted between kisses, trying desperately to regain her breath as quick as possible so their lips wouldn't be apart for long. As his tongue had worked skillfully against her neck earlier, it did just the same in her mouth, caressing her tongue erotically. Severus felt his resolve weakening through their hot and desperate kisses, wanting nothing more than to explore her beautiful body, but he continued to hesitate and reign himself in. She was still so young, so precious, and he simply couldn't allow himself to take anything she hadn't offered willingly. Still, his desire for her was not unmatched.

"Severus..." Opal panted, sounding as though she was begging. Her face was flushed and her eyes were half lidded, having pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. "Do you... want to touch me...?"

The Potions Master smirked and leaned his forehead against hers, taking a moment to catch his breath. "Tell me what you want, Opal. That is all I care about."

She bit her lip to hold back a whine, feeling suddenly so fragile in his arms. There was a pause as Opal steadied her mind and searched for courage, but instead of courage she was only able to focus on her raging desires and used that for motivation instead. "Please... touch... touch my chest..."

Though he was surprised by her bold request, Severus was not going to deny her. Kissing her lips gently once again, he worked his way down her chin and neck then stopped at the collar of her shirt. His hot breath washed over her neck, sending tingles across her skin, as his hands moved slowly around her waist until his palms were flat against her soft tummy under her shirt. Opal squirmed slightly, wanting him to continue quicker, but he held firm in his position while he continued to kiss her neck, though he did smirk at her impatience. His fingers moved slowly up her stomach until he found the bottom of her bra, stopping before he lost control.

He moved to her ear, kissing along her jaw on the way, and whispered huskily. "Skin to skin? Or should I leave this in place?" His fingers lightly slid along the bottom of her bra, never moving past the firm wire.

Opal whined, unable to control herself now. "Skin... Severus, please... skin..."

Happy to oblige her, he pulled one hand from under her shirt and moved up her chest to find her tie while the other hand moved across her ribs gently. He pulled the black and yellow tie, easing the knot loose, until he was able to remove it from her neck entirely. Without that in the way, he took a hold of the hem of her sweater and started pulling it up her body. Opal responded obediently, lifting her arms so he could remove the garment entirely and place it on the floor next to them with her tie. Their eyes met then, lustful expressions equally matched. Keeping her eyes locked on his, Opal moved her fingers to the buttons on her shirt while Severus' hands rested gently on her hips, watching her.

She started with the bottom buttons, unfastening them slowly, making her way up until she reached the buttons which held her bosom captive in the white fabric. There was a glint in her eyes then, fingers hovering above the fastened buttons as if asking for permission. As though to invite her to continue if she so wished, Severus moved his hands around her waist and up her back until he came across the hooks of her bra, pulling them apart slowly while keeping her gaze. Feeling the firm garment loosen, Opal continued unfastening the buttons of her shirt until none were left then dropped her hands to her sides, waiting. Returning his hands to her front, Severus parted her shirt slowly then moved his hands to her shoulders to ease the garment away entirely, letting it fall silently to the stone floor beneath them.

Her bra was next, but this part Opal did herself, moving her hands to the straps and quickly pulling them down her arms until the bra simply fell in Severus' lap. While he wanted so much to simply gaze at her full breasts, to take in the beautiful sight, Severus found his eyes locked in place by her own gaze. Still, his hands moved expertly up the front of her body until he was able to take her creamy breasts in his hands, unable to hold the entirety of them even in his large hands. Opal whined then, leaning into his touch, and finally broke eye contact as her head tilted back. He was able to take this opportunity to simply look at her, taking in her beauty in ways he'd only wished he could, then leaned forward to quickly pepper kisses down her collar bone and stopped in the space where her glorious breasts met. Squeezing them slightly, he pressed his face into that spot and inhaled her sent, feeling lost for a moment, then returned his attention to her needs and returned to kissing across her chest.

He kissed over one breast until he found her bright pink nipple, hard and sensitive from the cold of the room and the heat between them. Slowly, he slid his tongue across the delicate bud, earning a throaty cry from the woman sitting on his knee. There was no rush in Severus as he gave her chest his full attention, teasing one nipple with his tongue while he pinched at the other gently. Each sound he pulled from her throat, every little twitch of her body, the way she had started gripping at his arms, made it all worth it. He could continue this forever if the universe allowed him to, pleasuring her chest expertly, but there was a nagging below his belt that reminded him he wouldn't be able to keep this up without getting into a position he wasn't ready to show her. Allowing just a few more kisses to her soft breast, he pulled his head up to catch her lips in a hungry kiss, moving his tongue into her open mouth easily.

When he pulled away, watching as Opal's mouth remained open in a weak and erotic expression, he removed his hands from her chest and placed them on her cheeks. She met his gaze, feeling like putty in his hands, making him smirk slightly. "That is enough for tonight, Opal." Severus spoke softly though with the air of authority he almost always seemed to have.

Opal pouted slightly but nodded, feeling as though she didn't have the energy to argue with him, and leaned forward until she rested her head against his shoulder while her arms wrapped around his waist. Accepting her embrace, though a bit hesitantly as he didn't want to allow her to urge him further, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He placed a hand on the back of her head, holding her to him protectively, and stayed like that for some time as the two allowed themselves to relax and their hearts to slow. In time they were able to part, though admittedly a bit reluctantly, and Opal started to pull on her discarded clothes until she was fully dressed. With a few parting words and a couple sweet kisses, Severus sent her off to get some rest.

When she was gone, the last of her warmed drained from the room entirely, he found the emptiness inside of him returning, his thought growing darker.

If only to linger in the last remnants of her presence, Severus found release by his own hand at his desk while focused on the memory of her against him, of her smell, of her sounds, and of the way her full breasts felt in his hands. When his hot cum filled his hand, he imagined it spread across her chest as she sat in front of him, her innocent eyes staring up at him, and couldn't even find the decency to feel ashamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting a little more heated now... and getting a little closer. Severus will not easily admit he needs someone... but we're going to get him there.
> 
> Let me know what you think! It means so much to me <3 It also makes me write faster, honestly lol


End file.
